Spurs must be careful not to repeat dreaded 2024-25 collapse

The Silver and Black have launched to an incredible 26-11 start, sitting 2nd in the Western Conference hierarchy. Things are going about as well as anyone could have predicted. But it's important to understand that the NBA season is long. With the current 82-game framework, no early lead is safe, especially in the Western Conference. The Spurs learned this the hard way last year.

Last year, while not as successful as this season, San Antonio was sitting at a comfortable 15-14 before the calendar flipped. However, once the new year began, things started to go off the rails. A team that previously looked like a promising bet to sneak into the Play-In Tournament turned into an absolute disaster. No matter what, the Spurs cannot allow this to happen again.

The Spurs must keep Victor Wembanyama healthy

Besides having a weaker roster than this season's iteration, the biggest catalyst for the Spurs' downfall last year was the loss of their superstar. You can try your darnedest to reason with yourself that San Antonio doesn't need Victor Wembanyama to win games, but in reality, you would be lying to yourself. Regardless of what stats you pull up, the Alien is essential to this team.

With that in mind, it is all the more important for Mitch Johnson and the staff to keep Wemby healthy. While fans, myself included, have gotten frustrated by seeing the unstoppable beast limited to 24 minutes, it is all for a good reason. No one regular-season win is worth losing our star for the rest of the year.

So, stay patient with Victor. Let him sit when he needs to, and allow the rest of the cast to take care of business when he is out. The Spurs can survive without Wemby in the lineup throughout the season, but once we get into crunch time, he must be on the court. Keeping him healthy will allow that to happen.

Mitch Johnson needs to stay alert and make the proper adjustments

As the Spurs have gone on a recent skid, some pressing issues need to be resolved. San Antonio has underperformed against clearly inferior opponents, and it is all due to their own mistakes. If this young squad wants to compete come April, they must clean up their mess. That starts with Mitch Johnson.

For one, the Spurs have struggled to rebound on the defensive glass. For whatever reason, this bouncy, athletic team has been unable to secure rebounds and has allowed opposing teams to take advantage. Mitch Johnson needs to hammer this fact into their brains immediately.

Another task for Johnson will be to adjust the game plan when teams target their weaknesses. As a technical first-year coach, making in-game adjustments is no easy task. But by the trust of Coach Pop and the rest of the organization, we know he can do it.

When teams hoard the paint, what will Mitch draw up instead? When teams are extra aggressive, how can he prepare his guys to punch back? Questions like these must be answered if the Spurs want to maintain their outstanding play.